Worldwide, 175 million children aged between 3 and 5 have no access to pre-school education. Yet early childhood care and education (ECCE) is an absolutely crucial stage. It enables the holistic development of a child's social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs, to ensure their well-being and lifelong learning. Aware of the challenges that this period represents, Action Education has made early childhood one of its priorities, particularly in Vietnam. And to carry out its mission, the association can count on the support of the City of Geneva.

According to former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, "The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognise that Early Childhood Development can contribute to the overall achievement of the goals by 2030". Indeed, MDG 4 on education states that it is essential that all girls and boys aged 0-8 have access to appropriate developmental activities and care and to quality pre-school education that prepares them for primary education.

Early childhood: a neglected issue

ECCE aims to lay the foundations for children's well-being and lifelong learning. Unfortunately, many countries still neglect this issue and do not invest enough. As UNICEF points out, "the first moments of life offer a unique opportunity to develop the brains of the young children who will build the future. However, this opportunity is all too often missed. For governments, neglecting to invest in early childhood has a price: children who are unhealthier and less able to learn. [For children, particularly disadvantaged children, the price of this failure is untapped potential.

Vietnam: early childhood education and protection a priority

The healthy development of young children depends on three essential things: health, protection and nutrition. Action Éducation bases its projects on these principles. In Vietnam, in the province of Lai Chau, our association aims to improve early childhood education and parenting practices. Our aim is to provide better and more inclusive services, especially for disadvantaged children and those from ethnic minorities such as the H'mong, aged between 0 and 8.

To do this:

• We improve children's early learning and development (cognitive and socio-emotional) by offering child-centred teaching methods and better learning environments.
• We encourage collaboration between educators in the region to improve early childhood policies in Vietnam.
• We also encourage parents, teachers and local authorities to support the education of young children and to change attitudes in the community.

We warmly thank the City of Geneva for its support, which enables us to advance the cause of education, particularly among the most marginalised and vulnerable populations.